tiff of the 'burbs.

That is all.

Because sometimes I read the posts of people I’ve never met and think “OMG WE COULD BE BESTIEZ FOR LYFE”.

I’m not being sarcastic.

Being in my 20s, I go to local watering holes pretty often. They can be really weird, but also really interesting. You never know the kinds of people you will meet and the types of conversations you will have. Sometimes it’s the usual “Sup girl, you got a boyfriend?” stuff, but (thankfully) I’ve had my fair share of good bar conversations. Meeting new people is fun. Especially people who can hold down good conversation. Maybe it’s the liquid courage speaking and the fall of inhibition levels that causes this atypical bar talk (atypical for me, at least).

I irresponsibly went to a bar on Friday with my friend and his friends. I say “irresponsibly” because I actually had work at 8:30 the next day—I know, I’ve been such a rebel these days. My conversations with random people ranged from religion/faith (seriously) to career goals. Mind you, this was a l-o-u-d bar in Hollywood playing old school Hip Hop and R&B. QUE?! To quote some random guy I met regarding my desire to work in the secular nonprofit world (despite the small inkling I have to work for a religious-based health nonprofit—still open to this, by the way),

“One of the biggest problems with the world is that not enough people help each other out…especially people who are not like them. People are always quick to judge, point fingers, and tell everyone else why they’re wrong. That stuff doesn’t even matter. We just need to help everyone.”

CO-SIGN. [I omitted the profanity he used to make it sound a little better]

What I’m trying to get at with this post is basically…don’t always be so quick to judge other people based on the circumstances and places you meet them in. Not everyone is just trying to “get it in”. And just because people have made different life choices than you have doesn’t mean they’re bad people. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH.

hidekiat:

“I know this doesn’t make sense, but let me shed some light for you. The girls in my life are amazing, and it’s because they’re doing big things with their lives. Independent womyn are always busy and on a schedule. In other words, we’re not hiding guys.. we just always have things to take care of. We work or go to school full-time, sometimes both. We take care of siblings, parents, or other family members. We’re too tired to party, so we sleep in and stay home during our free time. Days are off dedicated to running errands and doing homework. Going out to us is considered: coffee shops, grocery shopping, school events, or the movies. We spend more time in our own heads than with others, but when we decide to go out we wholeheartedly let our company know they’re appreciated. Though, sarcasm and delirium is always present. And since we’re always on-the-go, when we get to wind down and relax, we are able to indulge in the simple and smallest things— naps, family/friend time, dessert. Surely, this entails that we know how to have fun when it’s necessary. It doesn’t take much to please us. We’re just grateful y’all stick around despite our lack of time and energy when we’re with you, and we love you with all my heart, mind, and soul.

Now, i say go for the ladies who have no time because they are the ones who don’t tolerate immature games, petty bullshit, and failure. We don’t have time to pick fights, cry over ridiculous matters, regress, or be insecure with the relationships in our lives. In fact, we try to stay away from negativity and anyone or anything that will hold us back from growing. We are always inspired to be better, do better, and maintain happiness. We associate with feeling: compassionate, determined, and caring than jealous, immature, and disrespectful. We believe being broken is beautiful and struggle exists to make us better in the end. We love with all that we have, and understand that life may not go our way, but we sure as hell aren’t going to give up. A womyn who MAKES time for you, is the one who will appreciate you and make every moment worth it when you’re with her. This is because her time is limited, and she knows how to manage it very well. She is accustomed to priorities, deadlines, goals, and dreams; so, let’s just say you were unique and extraordinary enough to make her take time out of her busy schedule to be with you. We commend and welcome you to our busy lives. But the flip side is, you’ll always be moving upward and onward with nurturing love within reach, because ladies with no time are always transcending and persevering for their aspirations and life goals. Question is, do you have the potential and understanding to want to stay. We just hope you’re ready for the ride.”

(via annaaajo)

HELLO! CO-SIGN except this part isn’t entirely true: “We’re too tired to party, so we sleep in and stay home during our free time.” :)

• My supervisor just put me in charge of a childhood obesity prevention & safety program that’s collaborating with LAUSD [10 schools] “This is going to be your baby. You will give birth to it, nurture it, and watch it grow.” Which means presentations to put together, meetings to attend/lead. I’m glad she feels confident in my work, especially because this will help me so much with program managing, but…AHHHHHHH!!!
• I also get help plan a symposium on universal health coverage for children at CHLA that’s going to be in mid-November.
• My supervisor will not be attending the Board of Directors meeting this Wednesday, so guess who gets to step in and help the president facilitate…asdkjbsfdgjblke!
• Planning TWO events for the Kabalikat Society…I’m so so SO THANKFUL I have a team of other people helping me out with these: Filipino American History Month Library Event and Filipino Veterans Open Mic/Benefit Concert in collaboration with Chi Rho Omicron (XPO).
• Oh yeah…and full-time school.

Breeeeeeaaaathhhheeeeeeeeee

rawritsanna:

6 years of bullying (i was definitely not the prettiest girl in the bunch. i was definitely the math nerd) as well as 4 years of single sex education filled with feministic ideals taught me a couple things - 

• are you someone of value? 
• have you apologized to people you should apologize to?
• have you told the people that you love that you love them?
• do you strive to make a difference in this world? 
• have you ever given a helping hand to someone who does not have the same advantages as you? 
• have you judged someone only on what they look? what race they are? how they dress?
• have you given help every time it was asked from you? 
• have you lived each minute of your life doing things you wanted to do, and making the mistakes that you WANTED to make?
• have you learned from every mistake that you did make?
• did you give forgiveness to those who deserve it?
• did you turn your back on people that sincerely deserved it?
• have you said something you regret and forgotten apologize for it?

if you were stripped of everything you had of monetary value, can you still say that you are a contributing member to society? 

i want to do something with my life so that i can say that God gave me a life, and I am going to make the best out of that life, helping others and further saving the world.

i am not perfect. but i want to attempt to achieve perfection in the eyes of God. 

and always always remember that you may have the worst day ever, but there could be someone out there who probably has it worse than you.

stay grateful, stay hungry, stay grounded. 

I’m having my “oh sh*t, I’m going to graduate this year” moment. A familiar feeling, except now it’s more like “oh sh*t, I’m going to graduate and will never go to school again and OMG now I really need to find a job. plz hire me!”.

This week, my supervisor & I are going to meet to discuss some “personal strategic planning”, focusing on my career objectives and overall goals I want to meet at a professional level. She told me she wants me to think B-I-G and think about my “dream job”. It’s been a while since I really sat down and reflected on these things. To be honest, I can’t come up with one title for my “dream job”. I ultimately would like to have a job like hers, but I know that won’t come overnight. Where does a person with a masters and hardly any work experience go? I’m afraid to know the answer. With a graduate program as broad as Public Administration, there are so many options, which I guess is both a blessing and a curse for people that can be indecisive as I can be.

I L-O-V-E being in my 20s, but this pre-quarter life crisis is overwhelming at times.

P.S. What I really want to say to my supervisor is “I CAN HAS YOUR JOB?!” (Executive Director of a health nonprofit)